This invention relates generally to crutches and other walking aids and deals more particularly with a crutch foot assembly which is constructed to prevent the crutch from slipping.
The tips of crutches, canes and walkers are typically equipped with a simple rubber end cap which is generally effective in preventing slippage on normal surfaces. However, the end cap often slips when a slick surface is encountered such as a wet floor, a tile or marble surface, or an icy or snow packed walkway. If the crutch, cane or walker should slip while the user's weight is applied to it, severe personal injury can result.
Although attempts have been made to provide walking aids with other types of nonslip feet, none of the proposed arrangements has been entirely satisfactory. Feet that have rigid metal spikes are effective on ice and snow, but they cannot be used indoors or on any surface which is susceptible to being damaged by the sharp spikes. Feet with treads, ribs, corrugations and other slip resistant components have also been proposed, but none of these components is entirely effective on all types of surfaces. The nonslip foot assemblies that have been proposed in the past are also undesirable in that they must be initially built into the crutch and cannot be added to an existing crutch having a standard rubber tip.
The present invention is directed to an improved nonslip crutch foot and has, as its principal goal, the provision of a foot which is more slip resistant than the devices that have been used in the past on crutches and other walking aids.
More specifically, it is an important object of the invention to provide a nonslip foot having a plurality of flexible and resilient fingers which are able to firmly grip against virtually any surface without slipping. The stiffness and length of the fingers are such that, when they are bent upon being pressed against an underlying surface, their tendency to return to their original straight condition applies a strong gripping force against the surface to assure that the foot will not slip, even if the surface is wet or icy or especially slick for some other reason.
Another important object of the invention is to provide a nonslip foot which can be used on both hard and soft surfaces without marring or otherwise damaging the surface. The resilient fingers are soft enough to avoid damaging wood floors and other hard surfaces, while they are able to dig into carpets and other soft floor coverings to provide a strong gripping force without damaging the floor covering.
A further object of the invention is to provide a nonslip foot assembly which can be initially built into a crutch or other walking aid or added to an existing crutch having a conventional rubber tip. The use of an expansible sleeve for anchoring the foot assembly in place is important because it permits the foot assembly to be installed on virtually any tubular member.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a foot assembly of the character described which can be quickly and easily installed without the need for any special skills or equipment.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a foot assembly of the character described which is simple and economical and which does not detract from the appearance of the crutch.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a foot assembly of the character described which has a sturdy construction and which functions reliably as long as the crutch or other walking aid is used.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.